Does Space Force have enough lawyers for tomorrow’s wars? Senators want to know

U. S. Space Force Guardians assigned to the 66th Cyberspace Squadron, Mission Delta 6, test themselves as a part of the Cyberspace Warfare Assessment and Selection Program in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Feb. 23, 2026. (Photo by U.S. Space Force Sgt. Michael Carrasquillo)

By Thomas Novelly • Jul 06, 2026

As Space Force leaders push for more orbital warfighting capabilities and even potential moon operations, senators want to make sure they have enough space-focused military lawyers for future conflicts.

The Defense Department would be required to assess its “space law requirements” to face rising threats and examine “options for establishing a dedicated legal organization within the Air Force, Space Force, or Space Command,” under the Senate Armed Service Committee’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act, released last month.

“The committee recognizes that operational demands in the space domain have grown, including reliance on commercial integration, allied and partner cooperation, and dual-use technologies,” says the SASC’s NDAA report. “The committee is concerned that current legal, policy, and institutional structures within the Department of Defense may not have kept pace with the complexity of space operations.”